steve on Nostr: “The Hump: America’s Strategy for Keeping China in World War II” by John D. ...
“The Hump: America’s Strategy for Keeping China in World War II” by John D. Plating
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Plating, a retired US Air Force colonel, wrote this book to fill a gap in the historical literature: no one had written a comprehensive account of the US airlift into China during WWII. At the time, China was under siege by nearly 1 million Japanese troops that the US was keen to keep in China (and therefore out of the rest of the Pacific). Accomplishing this feat meant resupplying Chinese forces from India. The airlift became known as “The Hump” thanks to its route over the Himalayas. Plating’s account shows how policy makers conflated metrics such as supplied tonnage with immeasurable effects like the Chinese morale. This mismatch of “means” with “ends” ultimately rendered the operation inconsequential. Despite this reality, Plating opines about the virtues of the airlift and how it paved the way for the Berlin Airlift and today’s logistical system. This book leaned a little heavy on the ideological aspects of the airlift and not enough it’s is actual lackluster effects. Plating’s bias as a mobility pilot is prevalent throughout, so reader beware. 📦🏔️
⭐️⭐️
Plating, a retired US Air Force colonel, wrote this book to fill a gap in the historical literature: no one had written a comprehensive account of the US airlift into China during WWII. At the time, China was under siege by nearly 1 million Japanese troops that the US was keen to keep in China (and therefore out of the rest of the Pacific). Accomplishing this feat meant resupplying Chinese forces from India. The airlift became known as “The Hump” thanks to its route over the Himalayas. Plating’s account shows how policy makers conflated metrics such as supplied tonnage with immeasurable effects like the Chinese morale. This mismatch of “means” with “ends” ultimately rendered the operation inconsequential. Despite this reality, Plating opines about the virtues of the airlift and how it paved the way for the Berlin Airlift and today’s logistical system. This book leaned a little heavy on the ideological aspects of the airlift and not enough it’s is actual lackluster effects. Plating’s bias as a mobility pilot is prevalent throughout, so reader beware. 📦🏔️